I Deserve A Badge

The adventure we went through to see Up today almost rivaled the actual adventure portrayed in the movie. We went to two theatres and the first was sold out for the 3D show. I made sure to prepay for the tickets for the 5pm show yet between the near glacial pace of the concessions and the fact that no human being should try to see a Pixar movie on opening weekend... well... We were barely able to find two seats together. Good times.



Awesome movie though. One of the best and most heartrending love stories I've seen in film and it was told in the first 10-15 minutes and barely a word was spoken. The rest was just gravy. I thought it more than made up for how disappointed I was with the second half of Wall-E last year.

After the show, we went over to Marble Slab Creamery. Great ice cream but it's insanely expensive! Definately something we will do for a treat.

Let's All Go To The Movies...

Well, I survived my double yesterday. I went in at 3pm and came home at 7am today. Yawn.

The nice thing about overnights is that you can watch a bunch of movies when everyone is sleeping. I watched Casablanca from start to finish for the very first time and saw a very surreal collection of CGI shorts which I couldn't stop watching.

We had been planning to go see UP in 3D in Guelph for a few weeks and once I woke up, we loaded up the family, picked up some friends and headed off to the theatre.

Unfortunately, I forgot that you really shouldn't try to see a Pixar movie, especially their first 3D one, on opening weekend. By the time we made it to the theatre, the show was sold out and we had a teary Garrett to console on the way back to the car. Kara was pretty happy to have been to the movie theatre, even if she didn't actually see a movie.

All was not lost though. We've purchased tickets online for the 5pm show in Milton and are going to head out soon. I must set a record for most number of movies watched in one day!

Easy Peasie

I had my second interview today. Actually, it was, in the words of my manager, more of a conversation whereby he could introduce me to the new Area Manager and go over some other questions and so forth.

It was a great hour or so discussion about the program, the position and me. It's always kind of nice to have someone else talk up your good points to their boss.

For all intents and purposes, the position is going to be mine. My manager said that he just needs to have a few more discussions and then sign the right forms and badda-boom. I should be invested into my new role in a week or so. Woo!

Of course, things aren't finalized... YET. But from the tone of the conversation and the fact that I was the only person to get a second interview, it's looking pretty good.

Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes and prayers over the past few weeks/months. I'll keep everyone posted when it's official, one way or another!

Who's A Pretty Princess?

What A Miserable Day

No, it's nothing to do with the last post. I've just been sick as a dog all day today. I was actually feeling pretty good yesterday for almost the whole day, nothing like the shuddering wreck that I was on Friday.

Then I made the mistake of saying, "Boy, I feel a lot better than I did yesterday."

I swear, not 10 minutes after I said that, my legs got sore, I started coughing and my sinuses got clogged. I'd hoped that getting a good night's sleep would help but I woke up feeling even worse than last night. It didn't help the kids were in our room shortly after 6am. I don't think I've ever been as surly and cranky as I was this morning though.

And as a side note, don't take a Benedryl if you're not 100% sure you've got allergies. I think a lot of my utter fatigue today was as a result of taking one of those deadly pink pills this morning. I spent most of the afternoon just listening to podcasts on my iPod and shivering under a blanket until about 5pm when my appetite came back (with a vengeance) and I got this sudden burst of energy, which I think is when the Benedryl wore off.

Anyway, I'm feeling a bit better and I'm going to go try to help with the kids, as they both seem to have taken 'bad kid' pills this weekend and are driving us nuts.

Happy Anniversary... I Think...

Every year I almost forget and every year I get reminded of the exact date, but I can never remember exactly which day is my parents' anniversary. I even wrote it on a calendar last year so I wouldn't forget... except that I think the calendar got lost in all of the cleaning, renovating and various other turfing that has gone on over the past 8-9 months.

So if I'm right, and today is the day, happy anniversary Mom & Dad! If not, consider this either an early or a belated congratulations.

Computer, Desk or Both?

I'm glad that I didn't run out and buy a new computer just yet. I was perusing the latest issue of Popular Mechanics tonight and came across this lovely computer desk.



I demand Luke and Dan get together and build me this forthwith!

I Feel Like A Punching Bag

Yesterday was looooong. So long. I didn't end up getting home until 7pm or so.

On the upside, I went out and rented Punch Out for the Wii, which is a great return to a series that I adored in my heyday. The only issue is that I tried using the motion controls (and Wii Balance Board) to play it last night and the last thing I needed at 9pm or so was to start flailing my arms around and juke and dodge a flurry of blows from a bunch of cartoony boxers.

I'm so sore and tired today... I hope I'm just tired and not SICK and tired.

And You Thought I Forgot...

For those keeping score at home, my new interview date is next Tuesday at noon. Yay!

Now I just need to survive tomorrow, which looks to be the day from hell. ANY day that starts with me having to be at work at 5:30am is a day from hell, even if I were to subsequently win the lottery and/or shoot rainbows out of my teeth.

Star Trek, Nothing But Star Trek!

If you're a fan of all things Trek, go see Star Trek.

If you're sick and tired of all things Trek, go see Star Trek.

If you don't know what a Jeffries Tube is or how a nacelle works, go see Star Trek.

It was a great movie that really takes what was a tired franchise and gives it a kick in the pants that lets it go in all sorts of directions while still paying homage to what has come before. And there are all sorts of pretty explosions.

There are quibbles if you're the quibbling type and I think that if you're currently reading this in your uniform while taking a break from chairing the meeting of the commanders of your local Starfleet outpost, well, you might not enjoy it as much. That said, the majority of the 'flaws' are nit-picky at best.

The only truly annoying thing about the movie are the lens flares. Holy smokes, it's like J. J. Abrams bought a crate of lens flares and had to use them all up by the end of the film or they'd pull his funding. It's not that they're distracting, but... well, they're everywhere.

Busting Out The Short Leash

So I came downstairs this morning at around 8:20 or so to find the front door wide open and nary a kid in sight. Now, they had been there moments before and Garrett had been yammering something about going to the bus stop, but he knows better than to just head on out the door by himself.

Or so I thought.

Moments later, I was heading out the door and down the sidewalk in bare feet and waaaay down the sidewalk I could see Kara in her PJ's and bright pink rubber boots. She was almost at the park where the school bus picks up Garrett. Suffice it to say, Garrett and Kara were corralled and marched straight back to the house, whereupon riot acts were read and consequences were handed out. Garrett lost TV for the day (and so did Kara, sort of) and he knows exactly why walking out of the front door with no Mommy or Daddy is verboten.

He didn't really like it this evening when I came back from getting the car from the shop (Did I mention I needed to get the brakes done today too? Yeah...) to find him watching a movie. Off went the TV and on went the tears. Oh well.

So yeah. Kids. What can you do? Kara and I did have fun playing outside most of the morning (we even took the new kite out for a spin, only to have the city start mowing the soccer field we were at) and we all had fun in our back yard this evening after supper.

Now to go to bed. I'm tired.

Best May 24 Monday Ever

I wouldn't say it's the best May 24 weekend ever, as I was working evenings this weekend (and it has been a LONG time since I did an evening shift on the weekend) and when I wasn't working, Julie was putting me to work. That said, it looks like Monday will be a great day, both weatherwise and otherwise.

This morning, after church, we stopped at WalMart and picked up the patio set we had our eye on while we were out on Friday. I think it took me less time to load it in the car, drive it home and assemble it than it did for the moron at the store to find it for us. The best (or worst) thing was that he took a good 10-15 minutes to find the set in the back warehouse and then came back to ask us if we wanted it. Sigh. At least it didn't take him as long to go back and actually bring it out.

As for Monday, I'm going out to see Star Trek in the afternoon while Julie takes the kids to visit her family in Kitchener. AND there are new episodes of Phineas & Ferb airing tomorrow. You have no idea how happy that makes me, if only to have something new in the mix.

Duck, Duck, Duck

GEESE!


As much as I have grown to loathe Canada Geese over the last decade (stupid poop machines that they are), I have to admit that seeing 4 adults escorting the goslings through the parking lot yesterday was incredibly cute.

Lil Gangsta

When did Garrett get so... Garretty?



Of course, this is still the same kid who was just heard running around upstairs yelling, "I'M THE BOY WONDER WOMAN!", so he hasn't grown up as much as he seems.

When Mommy's Home, Work Gets Done

Julie took the day off work today and that meant I had to actually be productive with my time instead of frittering it away saving the galaxy.

According to Julie, Kara wanted to go shopping with Daddy today, so we all piled into the car and headed down to Milton. We actually got a lot of stuff that will make this summer a much more enjoyable summer.

First off, we have barely been able to use our backyard for the past 4 years due to our idiotic neighbours cutting down the lovely shade tree that used to keep our yard cool during the hot days of July and August. Since the house faces East/West, the backyard gets the brunt of the sun during the day and it gets pretty toasty on those warmer days in the summer.

So may I present a contrast between before:



and after:



That gazebo will really help keep our yard cool. We're going to get a new patio set soon as most of our plastic chairs are broken and the table has seen better days.

We also picked up a bug zapper so that we can actually enjoy the backyard. They tried to sell us on some souped-up citronella candles but I insisted on the thing that will let me hear them go ka-pop.



So yeah, it was a good, productive day off and on top of all that, we also got a new push mower, so I can cut the yard without spending 3/4s of my time fighting with the rusted, dull blades.

Ambiguous Titles!

I wish I could wrap my head around exactly what this movie is about. I guess I'll have to wait until it comes out next week on DVD.

Happy Mother's Day!

It's Mother's Day, so that means *I* got up at 7am to corral the kids instead of burying my head in my pillow for as long as humanly possible. I hope Julie appreciates the sacrifice!

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially mine!



Please give to the Wager Entertainment Fund
So that kids don't have to pretend to play videogames on the fireplace.

Good News Everyone!

Hey all. Sorry for the late update but I have been stuck doing all sorts of crazy shifts this week and am plum tuckered out.

I heard today that I'm going for the second interview with the area manager next week (yay) so assuming all goes well, we'll know how things are going to play out by the end of the month.

Yay!

Oh, and I heard that one of the other guys who got interviewed this week spent half of the interview saying, "I don't want the job! Give it to Brock!"

That has to help :)

GOOGLE IT!

Still no word back from the interview. I'll keep everyone posted.

In the meantime...

Julie just asked me if cooking a tomato-based casserole at the same time as an apple pie would make them taste like each other. I said I didn't know so she asked me to google it. And then she got rather demanding about my googling it!

I didn't really get an answer when I did, but I DID find this recipe at the top of the results.

Thwup Thwup Thwup

Well, the interview has come and gone and now the waiting game starts. I think it went rather well, though I did kind of trip over the first question. Thankfully I got my brain back into gear and hopefully didn't say anything incredibly idiotic for the rest of the hour...

Speaking of delusional thinking, check out today's Wondermark. It's brilliant.